Floor 63
by Coups4days
Summary: The front line clearing group has finally made their way to floor 63. The only obstacle is facing them now is not a monster, but the floor itself.


Floor 63

When the game is cleared, journalists and writers will share the time spent in SAO and record events that took place while in game. One writer will compose an entry for the 63rd floor's boss battle and they will sum it up with one word: massacre. It all started at the intel meeting before the mid-floor boss.

We were assembling the front line clearers for 63rd mid floor's boss battle. It's been two days since reaching this new level and we were making progress rapidly as usual. The floor was designed with the South American rainforest in mind. Humid air that stuck to skin and thick vegetation everywhere. It was cloudy with rain showers that hit hard and then disappeared. Small stone temples littered the forest. The temples themselves looked ready to crumble at a moments notice and were being taken back by nature. Other than that, nothing seemed out of the norm for the time spent exploring and scouting. So it was a small surprise when we came to the middle of the forest and were met with a wall of dense fog. It was hard to see with trees and bushes spread so thick but when one came to it, it was overwhelming to look at. Not one scout dared to enter without being accompanied by the others for fear of what lay beyond. All they could report was it wasn't poisonous and players couldn't look inside without first entering.

The KoB, Holy Dragon Alliance, Klein's Fuurinkazan and other high level mercenaries prepared their weapons and armor for the battle that was ready to unfold. I sat close to the support players who begin to form small groups and talk amongst themselves. Three players would occasionally glance my way and immediately avert their eyesight. Once again, I was going solo to fulfill my nickname "Beater". As everyone finalized their weapon selections and confirmed their crystal storage, a familiar face made its way over to me. "Going solo again, Kirito?" The leader of this raid directed the question to me. "I'm a solo player, this is a known fact by now." The fencer clad in white and red covered her mouth as a bubbly giggle filled the air. I sighed, "Going solo should be safe, we have an almost full raid party and should be ready for whatever is in there." Her face grew serious as she turned and faced the wall of fog we were ready to venture into. "Yeah but still, this seems to be the first encounter for something this strange we have no knowledge with." It was somewhat menacing to look at. The forest behind was full of vibrant color and exotic plants that could rupture at any second. The wall in front was just…. _there_. No color, no definition, no moving parts. Just a thick cloud that waited for any brave souls to explore. Asuna turned to me with solemn eyes, "Just be careful out there." She turned her heel and walked back towards her clan. I gave a little wave of the hand and stood up to ready myself.

Looking up, the barrier that was set before us stretched all the way to the ceilingand spread to each side wall. It was silent and grim as everyone stared up at its monumental size while other players tried to use their searching skills to peer through. Asuna finally broke the silence as she spoke to the party. "The KoB and Holy Dragon Alliance will deal with attacking boss and blocking attacks. Support parties will back us up and take care of any stragglers that appear. As soon anyone lays eyes on it, signal the rest of group. Understood?" A unison nod signified everyone understood and knew their roles. She pulled her Lambent Light out of its sheath and proceeded forward. The KoB had begun to take the reigns on front line operations as their commander and vice commander's skill levels started to become apparent during raids. The Holy Dragon Alliance was trying to fill the gap between the two clans but Asuna kept soaring to new heights and living up to her name the _Crimson Flash_. As she entered the fog, her allies behind her followed without hesitation. They would follow Asuna to the gates of Hell, as long as she was with them leading the way. They immediately disappeared into the wall as the fog and mist swallowed their figures and they soon disappeared from sight. The rest of us swallowed any fear or hesitation and followed their lead. The 47 of us front line clearers made our way into the fog as we began the expedition of the 63rd mid floor where the unknown frontier lay in wait for us.

Visibility was low, in fact this was probably lowest I've seen yet. I couldn't make out more than 5 feet in front of me and the detection skill only showed outlines of trees and bushes not too far ahead. Other footsteps could be heard slowly making their way through as we all kept silent and weapons drawn. With low visibility like this, the mid-floor boss could appear anywhere and easily cause panic without knowing where other players were. I could hear the closest player next to me but couldn't even make an outline of his avatar. A hushed voice asked, "See anything yet?" A voice to his left answered back, "Nothing yet, how far in are we?" Subtle voices kept asking out as the hair on my neck began to stand. _Why is nothing happening yet? We should've came across some enemies by now._ That's when the screaming started. It wasn't any players scream, it was something inhuman that could only come from a monster. Immediately, I took off towards the source of the sound and found myself face to face with another player as we collided. "Watch where you're going jackass- oh it's you Kirito!" The ugly bandana on his forehead probably hid the mark where we collided. His samurai sword equipped in his hands, he was a very off picture of a samurai warrior. Klein quickly stood back up and lifted me to a standing position where we again took off towards the source of the screaming. "What do you think is waiting for us?" Klein said as we kept pace running through and over tree stumps and bushes. "I have no idea. Whatever it is, it's going to stay hidden and separate all of us in here at the rate this visibility keeps up." We were running when we came across the rest of the Fuurinkazan and other support players one by one in near collision. Most looked panicked and lost. Anxiety crept onto their faces as another scream sounded- but this time it came from the direction we just came from. I froze. _I could've sworn we were heading the right way? Actually, which was was the right way anymore?_ This low visibility and Klein bumping into me could've sent us in the wrong direction. A member of the KoB suddenly appeared in front of us looking panicked, he was probably separated from his clan and had no sense of which way to go. That's when an idea sprang to mind. "Hey Klein!" I yelled to where I thought the samurai was, "Get any players in this area and tell them to form a line. We have to stick together to get through!" Somewhere close but hidden behind gray clouds, "You got it!" his voice yelled back. Klein appeared seconds later and put a hand on my right shoulder with what looked like two others holding his shoulder forming a line. I nodded and began to slowly march forward. As we moved together through the thick cloud enveloping around us, another scream came from out ahead of us. We stopped in place and glanced around to reassure no one was getting attacked. That's when it dawned on me. _Not a single player could be heard fighting or yelling. The boss still hasn't appeared._ I told Klein the priority was to find other players and make our way somewhere with higher visibility. "If we can get to a spot where we can fight in the open, we should be able to end this quickly." Klein passed it down the chain of command as we once again started our steady march through the forest. Five minutes passed and we came across three other players who were separated and they quickly hopped into our ever-growing cango line of front line clearers. This would make quite a story one day, but at the moment, a tense and uneasy atmosphere surrounded us as thick as the weather. The screaming died out and only a chorus of footsteps could be heard making their way to safety.

We came to a clearing where the fog stopped and vast land and temples laid before us. We made it through. As we came into the clearing, about 29 players were already sitting there, talking amongst each other when our conga line emerged from the fog. As we all made our way out and sighed in relief, I counted a total 19 people who joined the line and was surprised to see the leader of the Holy Dragon Alliance at the very end looking exasperated and somewhat embarrassed. We all made it through safely, but one problem sat in the back of my thoughts. _Why didn't the boss show up?_ I found Asuna amongst the clearers and made my way over to her. I asked her if she came across any enemies. She shook her head no and asked about our group. I responded no. She spoke up, "We asked around and not one of us came across a single enemy. All anyone heard was that screaming and they took off running. A couple minutes later we found ourselves here and everyone separated." She said looking bewildered. "So everyone made it through without running into a single enemy…. This doesn't sit well with me." I said. She nodded when a KoB member came to us and reported. "We took a count and all 48 of us made it through safe, no one is injured and no one reports sightings of any monsters." Asuna suddenly looked up and her face grew very grim. Her line of sight fell to the fog as if she saw something stir in the midst of it. I instinctively reach for my blades grip and quickly turned to see what was making her worry. Nothing appeared. "What is it, Asuna?" Her gaze still was fixed somewhere in the fog. It started to make feel uneasy the way her demeanor changed and the way she was staring off. She turned to me and her eyes were searching mine. "Wh-what's the matter?! Did you see something?" She said nothing as her amber eyes continued to meet mine, as if they were hoping I would confirm some suspicion. Her eyes usually held a fire of ambition and desire but this time was far different. After a few tense moments, she closed her eyes and glanced away. "Nothing, it's fine." She turned away and hurried off towards the players heading for the next town. Sitting there perplexed, I looked back at the fog to see what brought on that look. Asuna suddenly stopped in her tracks, and said in a low tone, "Look for me before the boss raid." She then turned her heel and sped off, her chestnut hair flowing behind her. I turned back to the fog one last time. _What on Earth did she see in there?_

It only took a day for the scouts to find floor 63's boss liar, or should I say sanctuary. It lay on top of a stone temple that resembled the Aztecs pyramids. It was in the middle of a crowded forest surrounded by monsters that bore spears and shields and masked witches who summoned poisonous plants and vines. The one noticeable attribute was the top of the pyramid temple was fairly large and open: no low visibility like what we faced just a day ago. The group of clearers again met up in the area in front of the boss's room and formed parties. As players were finalizing weapon selection and checking item storage, everyone came to a sudden standstill. A group clad in red and white, the colors of liberation and command in SAO, made their way up the final steps of the pyramid. It wasn't necessarily the group that players were staring at, but the man who led the group. It was the Man of Legend, the player who held off the 50th floor boss by himself for ten minutes. Heathcliff, the leader of the KoB., the paladin. His presence was one that no player could ignore. He was the head of the most powerful alliance in-game, and was considered the strongest player in-game. Him and his 4 bodyguards strode to the middle of the clearing where Asuna and the rest of the KoB stood.

After exchanging some words, Heathcliff began to speak to the mass as a whole and everyone formed around to listen. "After initial scouting reports, we have learned that this floor's boss will likely be vigorous on offensive and defensive. I have decided to join this battle to offer defensive help to the KoB and end this battle so we may proceed to the next floor." As he spoke, he delivered his word loud and clear. He made it a point to make eye contact with each adventurer present and speak with a compelling tone. When his eyes fell upon me, they stayed for a second as he kept speaking. His words fell upon my deaf ears because his eyes were saying something else different. His eyes were hard and focused while he looked at me, as if they were saying _"Be alert."_ He broke off eye contact as he kept speaking and that's when I felt someone's presence at my side. I flinched when Asuna spoke quietly into my ear, "Do you see now?" Those words lingered in my ear. "I-I don't know what you're getting at." She told me to put some thought into it. I began to question the situation present in front of my eyes. _Why exactly was Heathcliff here? This battle didn't seem anything out of the ordinary so why bring in the strongest player?Does it have to do with the enigma that was the mid-floor boss?_ Suddenly, Heathcliff's words reached my ears and pulled me out of my trance. "After the reports of what happened yesterday, I decided to join you who witnessed the strange occurrence, in case we need to take drastic measures. Our group of the 49 strongest players will win this battle. We must for everyone who looks towards us to liberate them from this game. We will win the day!" Cheers and battle cries rang throughout the space that held the players as they raised their weapons in unison. It was weird to me though. He seemed to place emphasis on the what happened the day before. Asuna tugged at my sleeve, "Do you see it now?" "What do you mea-" That's when it hit me. It hit me hard and my blood ran cold. Yesterday, when we stood at the foot of the wall of fog, 47 players entered into low visibility where they couldn't see the player next to them. 48 emerged from reports after. I quickly looked at Asuna with a look of shock. She said in a low voice, "I noticed when the report first came back. I was going to publicly announce we had an imposter among the group but that would cause mass panic. So I pleaded my case to Heathcliff who agreed to help the situation." As they were speaking, Heathcliff pushed open the large stone door as the players rushed by him into the temple. He yelled words of encouragement as he glanced at everyone running by. "That's why he's here then! He was checking everyone during his speech to see who was the odd man out!" Asuna confirmed my suspicion with a nod. "And he was going to pull him out of the formation to not cause any problems during the battle." She replied with a tone of malice. As soon as the words left her mouth, Heathcliff was dragging someone out of the group flowing into the room and brought him to the middle of the space that was now vacant except for Asuna, Heathcliff, and myself.

Heathcliff through the player into the middle of our group where he told him to stay put. The player was clad in dark green armor and a mask that hid his face completely. His frame was a smaller build and he looked to be a short sword user. You wouldn't of guessed that he was a front line player if it wasn't for the costly weapon that was sheathed at his side. He was kneeling in front of the group, shaking, when Asuna broke the silence, "So an AI who would disguise itself as a player and slip among our ranks to cause terror and hysteria during the boss battle. It's a first I've seen this." The player was shaking but turned his head up and said "What are you talking about?" I spoke up, "It makes sense why no boss appeared, but to think it would be able to travel with us undetected for this long is alarming. It's a good thing you noticed when you did Asuna." The player threw up his hands and started pleading, "I promise I don't know what you're talking about! I don't know how you figured me out but if you let me live I'll never show my face again! Please just let me live!" Me and Asuna both looked at each other with a confused expression. "I didn't know an AI could be so animated?" "Well I guess it's just part of the game." I said as I drew my blade to and approached him. "I'm not an AI!" he yelled. I paused. "What did you just say?" Asuna asked, getting right in his face. Ready to strike at a moment's notice, she held her Lambent Light with its point directed at the man's face. "I'm not an AI! I don't know why you keep saying that but I promise i'll stop sabotaging plans and i'll leave the front lines and i'll even give you the location of our hideout! Please just let me live!" Heathcliff suddenly stepped forward. "Were you part of the raid that happened in the fog yesterday?" The man turned Heathcliff's way and answered, "Yes! but I didn't hurt anyone and I wasn't going to do anything during this raid! I swear on my life!" Heathcliff spoke again, "Remove your arm guards." As he spoke, the man quickly scrolled through his settings and removed his arm guard. The tattoo on his arm rushed all feeling of panic and anxiety back into our bodies. The black and white tattoo of a coffin was bright as day on his forearm. Laughing Coffin, the PK'er guild that was notorious for halting the progress of the games advancement. "Wa-Wait! You aren't the player who slipped into the group while we were in the fog?" The man looked up puzzled, "N-No? I promise I don't know what you're talking about." Me and Asuna stepped back at a loss for words. Even Heathcliff looked troubled from his declaration. I trembled as I began to speak, "Then who was it that-" The screams that erupted could be heard all the way to the base of the pyramid.

All three of us quickly turned towards the boss's room where more screams and howls joined in an ensemble of terror and fear. The Laughing Coffin member took this opportunity to scramble to his feet and run down the steps of the pyramid. "Forget about him, we must go help the others!" Heathcliff yelled at Asuna who was ready to take chase after the player. The three of us abruptly passed the stone door and entered the temple where a sight that would later be recorded as a massacre enfolded. Players were scattered around the room, out of formation while a giant stone golem with vines dripping from its body stumbled around the room. Groups in the middle were trying to fall back into formation to hold the golem at bay while others surrounded ready to go on the defensive. Heathcliff immediately took off to support the groups in the middle while me and Asuna looked for the AI who was the cause of this desolation. The yelling pointed us to the far right of the room, where a player was swinging away at a group of supporters who were lost as to what was happening. The AI was dressed in Holy Dragon colors and armor, had a mask that covered his face and a large axe he was swinging freely. The icon above him was a deep crimson and the name above read "Imitation." Players were trying to fend off his large swings but its next attack found its place in a player's back as he flew through the air and erupted into pixels. The group of players trying to fend him off were sent running in different directions, all screaming and begging for help. If me and Asuna didn't make a move soon, who knows how many others would lose their life? We took off for the AI and started our counterattack. For the next hour, front line clearers battled two fronts to make up for the ground they lost. At the end, the clearing group lost 3 members, a PK'er from Laughing Coffin got away, and the progression to further floors halted for 3 days.

The End.


End file.
